Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1887-10-01

breath. ana which, till ! got accustomed I,
H. Eept ne In momentary fear Of an upset
AZ for the wretched Alphonso. ne clung witt
a despnlring face 20 the side OF what he calle,
this devil Of a lacre,H thinking tint ever,
moment was his last. Presently it occ,,re<
70 him 70 ask where we were going. nnd
told him that, 80 far "a could ascertain. ".
were going to be sacrificed by burning. Yot
should have seen his face as be c1asped III.
si.lo OF tho vehicle and cried out HI, his terror
But the wild looking chariotecr only Ieanct
forward over his flying steods and shouted
aud the air, as IL went singing past. Dor.
away the sound OF Alphonse's LAMENTATIONS.
And now beforo US, IN all its marvelou,
splendor and dazzling Iovelincss. ebone on,
the Temple Of the Sun-thc peculiar pride ii
the lu-Vendi, to whom II was what Soiomon,s
or rather Herod's, Temple was TO tho Jews
The wealth and skin and labor Of generations
had been given to the building Of this won.
derful place, which had been only finally
completed within the last fifty years.
The building itself Is Of pure and polished
white marble, which shows cut HI marvellous
contrast to the red granite Of tho frownine
city, on Whose brow 1t gllstens indeel like an
imperial diadein upon the forehead III a duskv
queen. Tho outer surface OF the dome and or
the twelve petal courts Is covered entirely
with thin sheets OF beaten gold; and from the
extreme point Ok To Is5s of ,,ae, of tbose
petals glorious golden form with trumpet
IN its hand and wide spread wings Is figured
~ tho very act OF soaring into space. really
must leave whoever reads this TO Imagine the
sui'passing glory Of these golden roofs fash
ing when the sun strikes--fashing like thou
sand fires ohane on a mountain OF polished
'narble--so flercely that the reflection can be
clearly seen from the great peaks Of the range
nhundrcd miles away. Fer
It Is a marvellous sight, this golden flower
upbonc upon the cool white marble wills
and doubt IL the world can show such an.
other. What makes the whole effect even
more gorgeous Is that a belt of 100 feet
around the marble wall OF the temple e
planted with an indigen us species Of SIM
flower, which wore at the time when we first
saw them sheet Of gold,n bloom
The main entrance 20 this wonderful place
Is between the two nortIlernmost OF the rays
or petal courts, and Is protected first by the
usual bronze gates, and then by doors made
OF solid marble, beautifully carved with ale
gorical subjects and oyerluid with gold
When these are passed there Is only the thick
ness OF the wall, which Is, however, twenty
five feet Qorsthe Zu-vendi build for all time,
and another slight door, also OF white marble
introduced In order to avoid causing visible
gap In the inner skin Of the wall, and Won
stand in the circular hall under the great
dome. Advancing to the central altar Won
look upon as beautiful sight as the magma
ton OF man can conceive. You are in the
middle OF the holy place, and above you the
great white marble dome for the inner skin
like the outer, Is Of polished marble through.
out) arches away IN graceful curves some
Thing like that Of st. Pauls In London on,v
at slighter angle, and from the funnel Ike
opening at the exact apex bright beam Of
light pours down upon tie golden altar. AZ
The east and the west are other affairs. and
other beams Of light stab the sacred twilight
% the heart In every direction, white.
mystic, wonderful, open out the raw uke
,ourts, each pierced through by single
lrrow OF light that serves to iiulnine IT,
ofty silence and dimly to reveal the mcnu-
nents Of the mighty dead.
Overcome at so awe inspiring sight Tho
'ast loveliness OF which thrills the nerves lil-e
glance from beauty's eyes, you turn 10 the
entral golden altar, in tho midst Of which
hough you cannot see 1t now, there burns q
'aie but steady flame crowned with curls Of
amt bluesmo1e. its Of marble ovcrlaid with |
'ure gold, IN shape round like the sun. fo,,r
Get in height and thirty-six In circumference.
iere also, hinged to the foundations Of the
tar, are twelve petals Of beaten gold. All |
ight and, except at one hour, ali day also
hese petals are closed over the altar itself ex-
city as the petals Of water lily close over
40 yellow crown in stormy weather. bnt
hen the sun at midday pierces through the
lnnel in the dome and lights upon the golden
over, the petals open and reveal the hidden
lystery, only to close again when the raw has
assed @ f4A
Nor is this all Standing in seinicircles at
iual distances from each other on the north
1d south OF the sacred place, are ten golden
igeis, or female winged forms, exouisitelv
aped and diaped. These figures, which are
Ightly larger than life size, stand with bent
ads in an attitude Of alteration. their faces
allowed by their wings, and are most i'm
,sing and OF exceeding beauty.
There Is but one thing further tl,at calls fo,.
scription in this altar, which is. that 70 the
st the flooring In front Of IL Is not Of nure
hlte marble, as elsewhere throughout the
Hiding, but of solid brass; and this IL also
Q case in front Of the other two affairs.
At the temple gates our party was received 7
guard OF soldiers, who appeared to be q
der the orders OF priest; and by them we :
re conducted into one Of the ray or apetalp z
urts, as the priests call them, and there left Z
: at least half an hour. Here we conferred \
sether, and realizing that we stood in ereat l.
niger Of our lives, determined IL any attempt P
1uld be made upon us, to sell them asdeariy o
we OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES announcing Ills Q
ed intention OF committing sacrileee on p
person OF Agon, the high priest. by split- O
g his venerable head with Inkosi.kaas q
0in where We stood we could perceive that nl
immense multitude were pouring into the U
APPLE, evidently IN expectation Of some UNI q
l'll event, and / could not help fearing that u
had to do with it. And here may ex- "
in that every day, when the sunlight falls rc
'n the central altar, and the trumpets ~
nd, burnt sacrifice Is offered to the sun.
sisting Generally Of the carcass OF sheep
All OK, or sometimes Of fruit or corn. This q,
mt comes of about midday; not always
city at that hour, but as u-vendis Il sit sa
ed not far from the line, aIthough-being on
Ugh above the sea it Is very temperate Sc,
lday and the falling OF the sunlight on the wi
IT were generally simultaneous. Today
sacrifice was to take place at about eight an
lutes past twelve. he